Teat cup unit



NOV 16 1943-' l. v. DA slLvElRA TEAT CUP UNIT Filed March 24, 1942 INVENTOR. f. Z7. Da SL'ZUez'ra ATToR/s/Eys4 Patented Nov. 1e, 1943 y' v `UNITED PPI'N'I'v rOFFICE` I jf fassinsi' l 4rriisfrv CUP UNIT` l j. Isauro` V.v Da Silveira, Lodi, Calif. Application Marchzi, 1s4aseria1N. 435,939

` Vfsoiaims (o1. 31s5 'Ihisinvention relates generally't'o automatic milking apparatus, andi-in particularv the 'inven tion is directed to,` and it is my principal-lobject to provide, a teat cup unit ofnovel design and which is adapted to be actuatedby-a pressure pulsator rather than a vacuum pulsator as is now the custom. '7'

Another object of the inventionis toprovide a pressure actuated teatcup unit whichis operative'to milk a cow vwith an actionfmore closely resembling hand milking than can'be accomplishedl with vacuum type teat cups. Y

An` additional object of this invention is to provide a teat cup unit arrangedsothat tlie` teat is not directly subjected tothe air pressure from the pulsator, and so that injury tothei'cowcannot occur should accidental pr'essureincrease occur or should the operator permit the milking opera'- tion to continue beyond normal milking time. It is also an object to construct the unit to permit of ready removal of the deformable teat cup from the remainder ofthe unit and for the purpose of washing and sterilizing the same.

A further object of the invention is to produce a simple and inexpensive device and yet one which will be exceedingly effective for the purpose for which it is designed.

These ob-jects I accomplish by means of such structure and relative arrangement of parts as will fully appear by a perusal of the following specification and claims. A

In the drawing similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several views:

Figure 1 is a side elevation, mainly in section, showing the parts of the unit inthe position occupied by the same when the unit is inoperative or as exhausted between pressure pulsations.

Figure 2 is a similar view but shows the parts of the unit during a pressure pulsation.

Figure 3 is a cross section on line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Figure 4 is a cross section on line 4-4 of Fig. 2.

Figure 5 is a diagrammatic view of the unit connected with a pressure type pulsator.

Referring now more particularly to the characters of reference on the drawing, the numeral I indicates an elongated flexible and resilient teat cup, preferably of rubber, which is circular in cross section and preferably tapers gradually from top to bottom; the upper edge of this teat cup being formed with integral outwardly overhanging opposed beads 2 which are deformable with the cup I. At its lower end the teat cup connects with a length of flexible tubing 3 which leads, as usual, to a fitting on the head (not shown) of the milk bucket.

From a point adjacent butimmediately below the bead 2, the teat cup I is surroundedbya metallic shell or sheath l4 which generally conforms to the taper of the teat cup, except that the' upper half of thissheath is slightly oblong in cross section as shown in Figs. 3 and 4I whereby transversely arcuate, downwardly tapering pockets 5 are formed between opposite sides ofthe teat cup and corresponding portions of the sheathll. At its lower end the sheath is formed `with a sha1- low annular channel 6 which faces inwardly and in which an integral ring 'I on the lower end of the cup I is removably seated. Expansible air bags 8, which are wedge shaped in vertical section when inflated, are disposed in pockets 5 with the narrow end'lowermost and -with the upper end substantially ush with the upper edge of the sheath. Air ducts or tubes 9 lead through the sheath 4 and connect in communieating relation with air bags 8 such tubes 9 leadingv outward and-ithe'nce. downward, and being protectedadjacent the air bags by means of protector sleeves Il) formed rigid with the sheath.

In order to prevent the air bags 8 from blowing out of pockets 5, I provide top plates II in overlying relation to said pockets; these plates being generally symmetrical to the engaged parts of the unit, and each at its inner edge having an upturned flange I2 which removably engages between the adjacent bead 2 and cup I. An ear I3 projects outwardly from each top plate II to a point beyond sheath 4, and a link I4 is hinged to each ear at I5 and thence depends to pivotal connection at I6 with the corresponding protector sleeve III.

Inuse the tubes 9 are connected in common with a pressure pulsator of the type which provides alternating pressure and exhaust; such an arrangement being shown diagrammatically in Fig. 5. In Fig. 5 the pressure pump Il feeds to a pipe I8 connected with tubes 9, and a driven, two-way oscillating valve I9 is interposed in pipe I8.` This valve functions to alternately feed air pressure to the teat cup unit and then permit the air pressure to exhaust therefrom through a blowoff fitting 20.

With pulsation of the air pressure, as above, the air bags alternately expand to their full wedge shape and then deflate. With such expansion, the iiexible and resilient teat cup I, in the plane of the bags, is squeezed or deformed inwardly from opposite sides to an extent sufficient to apply a milking action to the teat T which depends into said cup. This milking action closely simulates hand milking for the reason that the wedge shape of the bags 8 produces the greatest compression of the teat cup near the udder; the compression of the cup decreasing gradually to- Ward the plane of the lower end of the air bags. This action is clearly shown in Fig. 2.

'I'he top plates Il, being attached to the bead 2 of cup l, slide back and forth as the upper end of cup l is alternately deformed and released; links I4 holding said plates against upward deiiection and yet ikpermitting suchsliding ,motion relative to the upper end of sheath 4. f

'Io remove the teat cup l from the unit for washing and sterilizing, the flanges l2 are detached from bead 2, and ring 'I released from channel 6, whereupon the cup is drawn out of its sheath 4. y

Since the teat T normally ts freely in the cup I as indicated in Fig. 1, suitable means is provided to hold the various cups in proper milking position relative to the teats.

Due to the pressure creating construction'remployed, it will be seen that no air pressure is released into any cup, so that if any cup'of lthe complete assembly is not in use, this doesnot interfere in any way with the operation andieiii-- cient functioning of the remaining cups, since no pressure islost.

From the foregoing description it will be readily seenthat I have produced such a device as s ubstantially fulfills the objects of the invention as set forth herein. n l g While this specification sets forth in detailthe present and preferred construction s of the device, still in practice such deviations from such detail may be resorted to asrdo not form a departure from the spirit of the invention, as defined by the appended claims. K

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and useful and `desire to secure by Letters Patent is: I

1. A teat cup unit comprisingan elongated teat cup of flexible and resilient material, a rigid sheath surrounding said cup from substantially end to end thereof, the upper portion of the cup being circular in cross section and the corresponding portion of the sheath being shaped to form pockets on opposite sides of the unit between the cup and sheath, a normally collapsed but ex-` pansible air bag in each pocket, cover plates overlying said pockets, means securing said plates at their inner ends to the upper end of the teat cup on opposite sides of Vthe latter, and means preventing" upward movement of said plates without restricting movement thereof with inward deformation of the upper end of the cup at opposite sides.

2. A device as in claim 1; said last named means comprising an ear on each plate projecting outwardly beyond the sheath, and a link pivotally connected between said ear and the sheath at a point therebelow.

3. A device as in claim 1; said plate securing means comprising a segmental bead projecting outwardly from said opposite sides of the cup, and an upturned flange on each plate releasably and frictionally engaging 4between the correspond-A ing bead and the cup. Y

fi. A teat cup unit comprising an elongated teat cup of flexible and resilient material, a rigid sheath surrounding said cup from substantially end to end thereof, thervupper portion of the cup being circular in cross section and the corresponding portion of the sheath being shaped to form pockets on opposite sides of the unit between the cup and sheath, a normally collapsed but expansible air bag in each pocket, and an air tube for each bag, the sheath having an opening adjacent each bag and thecorresponding tube extending therethrough/and connected with said bag. 1

5. A deviceas in claim 4 including protector sleeves on theA sheath and surrounding the tubes for some distance beyond said sheath.

- ISAURO V. DA SILVEIRA. 

